Two young men have been ordered to repay nearly Dh15,000 to a victim after an Al Ain court found they used a fake mobile phone recharge website to scam him out of money.
The Al Ain Civil, Commercial and Administrative Court also ordered the pair to pay the victim Dh3,000 in compensation for the financial and emotional harm he suffered as a result of the fraud.
According to court records, the victim filed a lawsuit after discovering he had been deceived through a bogus online platform designed to resemble legitimate mobile phone top-up services.
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The victim said he entered the website believing it was genuine and completed an electronic transaction before later realising he had fallen victim to an online scam and lost his money.
He subsequently filed a civil case demanding the return of the amount taken from him, in addition to compensation for the damages caused by the incident.
The court ruled in favour of the plaintiff after determining that the defendants unlawfully obtained the funds through fraudulent means, making them legally liable to repay the money.
In its judgement, the court said the victim suffered both material and moral damages after losing access to his money and being exposed to electronic fraud, warranting compensation in addition to restitution.
The ruling comes amid repeated warnings from UAE authorities over fake websites and fraudulent online payment platforms impersonating telecom and digital services to steal money and banking information from users.
Cybersecurity experts have repeatedly urged residents to use only official apps and verified payment portals, avoid clicking suspicious links and carefully check website addresses before carrying out online transactions.
Source: Khaleej Times